My Stormy Food Quest in Binondo’s Chinatown
There’s this storm coming called Man Yi. Did that stop me from heading to Binondo? Nope. I’ve been here before, years ago, with a friend. We ate at Ying Ying Tea House, and something about it stayed with me. This time, I returned alone.
How to get there
LRT to Carriedo Station. Then a short walk toward Ongpin Street, brushing past Plaza Santa Cruz and its half-forgotten fountain. The kind of place you can tell used to be beautiful or still is, if you look at it long enough.
I checked into a nearby hotel before anything else. The room had soft light, a wide window view, and a king bed all to myself. There’s something grounding about laying your things down and pausing before the hunt begins.
The Food Drift
My first stop is Oishi Kun. It was the nearest. There’s a line for payment and a line for pickup. It was confusing at first cause I’m not sure where the line for which is which. But eventually, I walked away with a warm, milky bicho-bicho and let me tell you, and it was exactly what I needed. It was soft and sweet. It’s like when you’ve been craving something but didn’t even know what, and then you taste it.
Next, I grabbed four pieces of Shanghai fried siopao just beside it, then headed over to Wai Ying. There was a crowd outside, and I panicked for a second. Turns out, they were just waiting to dine in. So, I asked the guard, and scored some fried wontons to go. I thought about getting an asado roll from Monteland, I can’t remember why I didn’t. Medium regret.
Then came Diao Eng Chay. I bought two boxes of chicken pot pie without asking the price. I only knew I wanted it. Some decisions are like that. I then spotted a long line at Vege Select so I skipped it for now. Their xiao long bao and tanghulu are officially on my “next time” list.
On my way back to the hotel, I realized I needed a drink. Luckily, I found this random convenience store with bottles on display outside. The entrance had those odd butcher strip curtains, which, now that I’m typing this, was kind of strange. I grabbed a strawberry-flavored juice with Chinese characters on it, Pocari Sweat, and a bottle of water. The cashier did some lightning-fast mental math, and I’m honestly impressed.
The Elevator Incident
When I returned, I entered the hotel elevator with two other strangers. We pressed our floors. Mine didn’t light up. Tried again. Nothing. The others noticed and suggested I press the floor above and switch elevators. I nodded, pretending not to feel weird about it.
The hallway was quiet in the wrong kind of way. I ended up on the 17th floor for no reason, half-laughing, half-spooked. The button finally worked on my third try. It felt like the building was teasing me.
Room, Food, Silence
Back in my room, I attempted a makeshift mukbang. But halfway through the Shanghai siopao, I was full. Favorites: fried wontons (with a hint of seafood) and the chicken pot pie. The bicho-bicho didn’t survive the delay. I tried to save the bicho-bicho for later as dessert, but unfortunately it hardened. I didn’t read that it had to be consumed right a way.
And here’s the crazy part: someone I knew saw me in Binondo. Randomly. Out of everyone in Binondo, on a random stormy day. It reminded me how small the world gets when you leave your house.
Money Magnet Ring
Then the next morning, my ring went missing, the one I got for the pink diamond theory. I searched everywhere, panicked, and then ended up finding a random ring instead. Am I being played by a ghost? Did it want to exchange rings? I’ve searched it on google and found that it’s a money magnet ring. Sounds cool, right? But also definitely cursed. So, I did the smart thing and left it behind. I also found my ring which is in my bag haha.
Ying Ying Tea House
For breakfast, I hit up Ying Ying Teahouse for breakfast, and guess what? I was feeling adventurous and ordered duck this time…Decided I’m still a lechon kawali girl.
Afterwards, I snapped some pics at the Chinatown arch and the mural before heading back to Carriedo Station. Miraculously, it wasn’t raining even if there’s another storm coming.
Not Quite a Wrap-Up
When I got to the mural, my paper bag completely gave out on me. I was literally hugging it. It would be nice to have someone with me that moment. Then I remembered I brought a tote bag! It fits perfectly. Crisis averted 😌.
At the LRT station, I was once again lost. I asked the woman next to me, but she had no idea either. She went to check at the booth. Eventually, I got to the right side and caught the train. Someone offered me a seat. I said thank you. I hope they heard me.
I really wish I had more time to hit up places like Ramada Hotel for its rooftop, Grand 1919 for coffee, Shin Ton Yong for its pork floss, Monteland for that asado roll, Vege Select for those xiao long bao and tanghulu, and take photos in Panciteria in El Filibusterismo. Not to mention Lan Zhou or San Guo Lamian. There’s still next time, right?